aproximabavsaproximanTell them apart

Which to use

“aproximaba” and “aproximan” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#45,741
“aproximaba” frequency rank
#32,499
“aproximan” frequency rank
78240
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature aproximaba aproximan
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de aproximar o de aproximarse. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de aproximar o de aproximarse.

Where the eye mixes aproximaba and aproximan

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.

10 ch
aproximaba
9 ch
aproximan

Why the eye confuses aproximaba with aproximan

A purely visual mix-up. aproximaba ([apɾoksiˈmaβ̞a]) and aproximan ([apɾokˈsimãn]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 78240, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

aproximaba is recorded at frequency rank #45,741, classified as averb, pronounced [apɾoksiˈmaβ̞a]. aproximan is at rank #32,499, tagged as averb, pronounced [apɾokˈsimãn].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 78240, this pair ranks #14,759 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of aproximaba vs aproximan

Shared letters: aimoprx. Private to "aproximaba": b. Private to "aproximan": n.

"aproximaba" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCVCVCV  ·  "aproximan" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • aproximabaaporximaba · approximaba · aproixmaba · aproxiamba · aproximaab · aproximabba · aproximava · aproximbaa
  • aproximanaporximan · approximan · aproixman · aproxiamn · aproximann · aproximman · aproximna · aproxmian

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "aproximaba" for "aproximan" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([apɾoksiˈmaβ̞a] versus [apɾokˈsimãn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "aproximaba" or "aproximan"?
"aproximan" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #32,499 in our Spanish list, against #45,741 for "aproximaba". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Eye-level mix-up between "aproximaba" and "aproximan" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.

  • Full dictionary entry for "aproximaba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "aproximan" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #14,759 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "aproximaba" and "aproximan" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "aproximaba vs aproximadas". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #14,759 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list